Whatever you do, do it well – Olumide Idowu

Olumide’s story is associated with a student network (Aiesec) that has been in existence in Nigeria for over 50 years. This 25 years old graduate of Statistics from the University of Abuja is occupying several leadership positions and he is making a difference in Nigeria and overseas.

He tells Youthful Vibes in this interview about his enthusiasm for sustainable development and his interest in providing support and training for young people on several issues not limited to Environmental issues. Olumide is responsible for the Communications & Public Relations for AIESEC Nigeria.

My motivation to join AIESEC
AIESEC offers you an opportunity to put theory into practice and gain practical international experience. I realized that Aiesec has a great wealth of experience in developing high-potential youth into globally minded responsible leaders. Thus, it got me thinking and today, I am glad I joined.

OLUMIDE IDOWU

As a member, I have obtained experience on Sales and Accounts Management to be able to work locally and globally. Also, you become part of an exciting, driven global network. It helps you to be able to contribute to societal change while exploring your own vision for a positive impact on society.

Impacting Young people
I have been able to develop a change in the area of Leadership, which helps a large number of youth both in the network and outside the network to demonstrate integrity. We develop different projects and campaigns to see how we can make the youth voice heard across Africa.

We have an approach which leads to development of young people.The AIESEC approach to enabling young people to discover and develop their potential is a full experience with several stages that is based on a few key principles. This approach, which comes through the AIESEC Platform, helps to build young people that have the desire and capacity to have a positive impact in society – that is the AIESEC Difference

Climate Change initiative
With the help of God and my dedication to selfless service I was able to initiate a project that has positively influenced young. I belong to a group called Nigerian Youth Climate Coalition [NYCC] which I presently serve as the Youth Engagement officer.

Prior to this, I was selected to serve as the Information Manager for Africa Youth on Climate Change [AYICC. Through this platform, we have established Green clubs in both secondary and tertiary institutions so as to promote climate change impact mitigation and adaptation.

These Green Clubs exist to discover, inspire, develop and connect young people who are passionate about their environment and also they clear their path in the world by changing the culture of organizations and the direction of policies bothering on the Environment. We’re creating a world in which young people have the confidence to lead and everyone understands we need them to.

I had the privilege to set up Engaging Naija Youth on Climate Change Project. This is a Climate Change youth communication project that runs in Niger Delta states of Delta, Imo and Ondo states. This was funded by BNRCC/NEXT. This project involved peer education and Media Advocacy with the establishment of Climate Change school Clubs in the project states. (April – Nov. 2010).

We are working tirelessly to launch a Climate Change Book Project. NYCC is currently collecting and drafting a climate change book, titled ”Climate Change and Young People in Nigeria: Nigerian Youth see their Future in the Balance”. The overall goal of this book project is to acknowledge works done, inspire and inform more young people while enhancing youth Policy advocacy in Nigeria. Again we want to celebrate young people who are at the Frontier on Climate change in Nigeria. We won’t die silently.

My words for fellow youths
Let them keep the spirit of Leadership on! ‘You must make up your mind what you want out of life. That thing that you have chosen, you must never give up. Whatever your hands and your head find to do: do it with all your might!

YOUNG NIGERIANS MAKING THE DIFFERENCE

Omotola Fawunmi, Lagos State

It is all about value- says Omotola
She is passionate about assisting young people to develop Successful Life skills and strategies, and also providing clean toilets in Schools. Having successfully activated youth development platforms since she was aged 16. Omotola Fawunmiâ experience belies her age.

A Consultant, Facilitator, Social Advocate and Customer Service Professional, Ms. Fawunmi lives by her personal mantra, it is all about values. Highly inquisitive Omotola started her first job at 15 when she resumed as a Marketing Assistant at DPMS limited a foremost IBM partner, straight out of secondary school in 2000. She worked as personal assistant and successfully managed customers from various regions of Nigeria.

Omotola Fawunmi

In 2002, the increased incidence of juvenile delinquency and teenage pregnancy in her Community,Isheri Osun, Made her initiate a youth Forum KEEP Talking at her parents home where she led 30-50 young people weekly, to discuss youth Issues and use positive peer pressure to minimize the incidence of deviant behavior for over one year.

An 11 month ASUU Strike and Omotola’s passion for the media saw her volunteering with the NTA Programmes department working on ONE on ONE TV Programme ,The Morning Ride Breakfast TV Show and ALL NIGHT Long Midnight Show. Motivated by the quest to add value, Omotola has gained invaluable experience, first at the Obafemi Awolowo University where she coordinated a Human Capital Development conference, for graduating students of the University.

In the same year, she also facilitated and initiated Public Speaking trainings for the students in Ife and Lagos. While on mandatory Youth Service in Kogi State, her passion for Social Entrepreneurship caused her to win the coveted NYSC State Award.

During her service year, she was actively engaged with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) where she served as a Developmental Knowledge Facilitator and MDG Schedule Officer and conducted Periodic capacity building trainings for 300 Developmental Knowledge Facilitators as well as Training sessions across LGAs in the State.

On her return from Youth Service, she joined Visible Impact, one of the country’s leading Management Consulting firms as an Associate Consultant and was soon engaged in facilitating training sessions for Entry level staff for clients such as DiamondBank, Oceanic Bank to mention a few. Her Customer Service skills caught the attention of one of our country’s telecommunication firms, Globacom, where she worked as a Customer Service Representative of the organization.

Her Public Speaking experience as well as her eloquent diction caused her to become the Voice for Glomobile Blackberry Helpline (Dial 333,444). In 2010, her love for Social Entrepreneurship caused her to relaunch, Project STRETCH, a social enterprise responsible for the development and deployment of various, youth learning interventions, including Performance Coaching, Life Skills and Leadership trainings at various levels.

A consummate Toilet Advocate she desires that every School Child has Available, Decent and Accessible toilets. A 2011 Goldman Sachs Scholar with a Certificate in Entrepreneurial Management from the prestigious Pan African University, Lagos Nigeria. Ask Omotola what she lives for, she says, it is all about value.